GRAB A STACK OF ROCK With Mike and the Mad Metal Man
Special 🅻🅸🆅🅴 Episode
Episode 131: Boxing Day Bash & Christmas Music Hauls with Peter Kerr of Rock Daydream Nation
With bellies and ears full, please join Harrison and I with special guest Peter Kerr, on Grab A Stack of Rock live! Tonight is the night that we reveal our Christmas musical hauls (and other recent scores). The pictures in the thumbnail images are just spoiler-proof teasers and placeholders (though time permitted we will look at those recent arrivals too). We’ll just have to see what the other guys have in store, because I write these posts in advance! I can tell you that on my side, I have four new discs to discuss, a cherished musical heirloom, a new music T-shirt and more!
I’ll also reveal what I spent my Christmas money on.
Tonight, 7:00 PM EST, the boys are back in town.
Friday December 26 at 7:00 PM EST, 8:00 PM Atlantic. Enjoy onYouTubeorFacebook.
Nostalgia filled me as I whiled away the afternoon hours. Christmas Eve was here again, and I wanted to drift back in time. I am never happier than when I think back to the early 80s, and how wonderful and perfect Christmas Eve was. Now, so many of us are gone. Uncle Paul and Grandma have left us, and Aunt Maria is not well enough for Christmas anymore. By mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve back in 1981, or 82, or 83…I’d be anxious to the point of explosion, waiting to get things started! We had to kill time, am eternity of time. Or so it seemed. What was really a few hours felt like days. So we’d go down to the basement and try to stave off the combination of boredom and anxiety, by playing Atari 2600. Meanwhile upstairs, Mom would be furiously preparing for the arrival of guests, while dad sometimes worked or sometimes flipped channels between March of the Wooden Soldiers and A Christmas Carol.
The old Atari 2600 still works, but it’s at the lake awaiting next summer’s fun. Emulators capture most of the experience, minus the joystick. And so I cued up some games. Things that would remind me of the past… the competitive past with Dr. Kathryn, playing the classics.
Time-appropriate music was necessary. I chose the Brian May Starfleet box set. Even though I’d not been aware of Brian May or the album back in 1983 when it came out, listening to new music was also a Christmas Eve tradition, and disc two of the set is fresh to me. The combination worked.
I started out with an old Uncle Paul favourite: Activision’s River Raid. Either due to being years out of practice, or the lack of a joystick, I fared poorly. I remembered all my old strategies, such as slowing down to refuel, but I couldn’t even get past the second bridge. Let’s try something more fun.
The second game I played was an old “M Network” cartridge, now emulated online, called Frogs and Flies. It wasn’t rated highly by us back then, but it is strangely playable. The object is to jump your frog, and catch more flies with your tongue than your opponent (or computer player). There are only two controls: one to jump and one to flick out your tongue. The graphics, featuring the frogs jumping on lilypads in a pond, capture the transition from morning to night. The game is on a time limit, and once it is night, it ends. Top score wins. (I won.) Well, that was fun.
Brian May and Eddie Van Halen solo’d together as I tried the old Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – Death Star Battle game. This is not a game that we owned, but we did rent it at least once (in the summer, actually). I remembered it being really cool, but I did not destroy the Death Star in 2025. Unusually for games of the time, it was a two-stage game. First, you (the Millennium Falcon) must battle TIE Fighters and Imperial Shuttles as you wait for a hole in the Death Star’s shield to appear. Once through the shield, you must now destroy the Death Star by shooting out blocks, creating a clear shot to the main reactor. This while being attacked by fighters and the Death Star’s superlaser itself. I did not do well. The strategy here is to move to the far right or left, and lure the laser’s sights as far from the center as possible. Then, zip to the middle and take shots at the Death Star for as long as you can before the superlaser is locked on you again. You only have a few seconds. I found this un-fun and only tried a couple times before quitting. The Empire wins this time. (No sequel trilogy.)
I searched around for a few games. I tried Pitfall, considered one of the best games on the console, but bored quickly of repetitive scenes. I played Vanguard, but it took me over 10 lives just to kill the first Gond. Then Freeway…chickens literally crossing a road.
Before I knew it, it was just about time to depart and get merry. I probably spent more time searching for a game that I wanted to play, than actually playing. Just like the old days.
Pac-Man. Haunted House. Frogger! Damn Frogger, that one had me going all Christmas Day when it came out. I thought it was the best Atari game ever made. It may well have been. Those were indeed the days. Monopolizing the TV to play Frogger all day. Food? A distraction! Taking away from our Atari time!
Christmas Eve ended with a new set of Uno games. Something I probably also received from Uncle Paul one Christmas Eve back in the 1980s.
Full circle. The more things change, the more they stay the same, and that is a comforting sentiment.
It was 20 years ago when I finally snapped. Two decades since that fateful day when I finally reached the breaking point. The day I ended the most toxic relationship I’d even been in.
December 19, 2005, I quit the Record Store.
The story has been told multiple times, but I have had two decades now to put it behind me. Perspective changes. If the “me” of today was quitting that store in 2005, I’d have been a bit more assertive about why I was quitting. It is safe to say that I left that job for one reason and one reason only. Even though you can’t change the past, it is sometimes interesting to reflect back in terms of personal growth.
What don’t kill ya, makes ya more strong, as James Hetfield once said. I am a fucking lion.
There was a lot to love about working in a Record Store, especially the early days.
The most important and lasting impact of the Store is not any of the musical treasures I acquired. Not my mint condition Shine On box set by Pink Floyd. Nor the numerous Japanese imports, or the limited edition releases. None of the things in my collection can compare to the relationships made that lasted the test of time. I look at my Facebook friend list and count the names. There is Jade, and Kyle, and Ian, and there is Trevor! And the Sausagefesters: Uncle Meat, Joe Big Nose, Tom, and Dr. Dave! Two Matts, a Pat, an Ashleigh and a Kate! And Chris, who I trained and now works at the beloved Encore Records, still selling music to the masses. Of these friends, I remain close to Uncle Meat. We’ve had trials, tribulations, and tornadoes in our lives but here we stand. This list just includes the ones I worked with, but I have friends that I met as customers, such as the infamous Aaron KMA. Aaron and I will be celebrating our 30th Friendaversary in spring of 2026.
It was unfortunate that it ended the way it did, but I had to hit a moment of rock bottom before I would take the bold move of quitting my job of 12 years. I’ve never been good at breakups. Just ask any of my ex’s. There were the five stages of grief after I left, mixed with a tremendous high of new experiences and new achievements. The anger stage of grief took a while. There was fallout, and that’s on me, but like I said…anger stage of grief. Bridges had to be burned so that I was left with only the positive people from that period in my life. Many supported me in my journey; some did not, and I’m left with the ones that did. I am grateful to all of them.
Sometimes I think about what it would be like to still be there, an old dog slinging music from behind the counter. Part time of course; not manager. It would be hilarious because I’m not the same person anymore and I don’t take shit like I used to. The Big Boss Man would have a harder time pushing me around. I don’t think it would last long.
I still shop there, though the old locations from my day no longer exist. The staff are mediocre. I’m not saying that to be mean. A lot of us were mediocre from day to day back then. However, I always made sure every customer was at least said “Hello” to, and they don’t do that anymore.
20 years have come and gone in the blink of an eye. How can I sum it up? I came out of my cocoon. “I am, I’m me.” And I hope the next 20 years reveals just as much growth as the last 20.
50 Years of IRON MAIDEN bonus episode:
Top 11 Maiden Art
GRAB A STACK OF ROCK bonus episode
Original broadcast: May 12 2021
Back in the pandemic days, long before 50 Years of Iron Maiden was a thing, we used to do three-hour shows. People needed something to do, and something to watch. Unfortunately, as good as our lists and topics were, the shows were too long and meandering. Well, not anymore! I have toiled away and edited down our epic Top 11 Iron Maiden Art show to a manageable hour. Now it enters its rightful place as a watchable bonus episode of 50 Years of Iron Maiden.
Our group of four picked our favourite Eddies from past and present: Myself, Harrison, Mr. Books and original co-host Deke. We split our picks from albums, singles, and tour shirts. Through it all, we saw some epic art from Derek Riggs, Melvyn Grant and others. A monumental set of lists! The format was called a “Nigel Tufnel Top Ten”, meaning we went up to eleven! Check out the picks, some of which are pretty obscure and little-seen!
Thanks for watching, and if you just want to know what Maiden art we picked, check out Aaron’s hand-written list below!
Friday Dec 19 at 7:00 P.M. E.S.T. Enjoy onYouTube.
SPOILER – Do Not Read if you intend to watch the episode.
By the suggestion of Peter Kerr! Hot on the heels of our best KISS song lists, here are my WORST songs by my favourite band! One song for every studio album, plus one song to represent the many extra tunes that Kiss have in their discography! Enjoy – or don’t enjoy -the list of stinkiest Kiss songs of all time! (Peeeeww!)
NOTE: Some of these albums have no truly bad songs. Hotter Than Hell and Destroyer, for example. Therefore, I just had to stick my neck out with my “least best”. This is a much more difficult list than picking favourites.
EXTRA SONGS – Nothing Can Keep Me From You (Detroit Rock City soundtrack)
A really hard list. Worst song from Hot in the Shade? Get in line. Worst song from Lick It Up or Creatures? Much harder. Even The Elder was difficult. In most cases I went with my first instinct. I hope you enjoy this list – and sorry Joey about “I Love It Loud”!
In Early December, I hooked up once again with Joey Suto of Rock Show Critique. The topic this time was KISS, and it has been so long since I talked about that band. My channel rarely features my favourite band. It’s hard to find interested parties. I was happy to do this show with Joey. I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. Funny thing – after Ace passed, another channel did a Kiss song list, but it was top Kiss songs from the Ace albums. I let them know that I was peeved that I wasn’t asked to participate. “Who’s the biggest Kiss fan you know?” So I pledged to do a better show. With Joey, we did exactly that!
Not everybody is into videos, so for those who still enjoy the written word, here is my list: One song for every studio album, plus one song to represent the many extra tunes that Kiss have in their discography! Enjoy the list!
The roots of anxiety run deep. Some things from childhood, I can remember vividly. I have strong memories of some of the unhappy moments, frozen in time. When I say “unhappy”, it’s important to stress that these stories might not seem like a big deal to you, but they obviously impacted me in ways that still have repercussions today.
I can pinpoint the year to 1980. It might have been March break. Lego was a favourite hobby. Lego Technic, or what we called “Technical Lego”, was hot and new. I had a couple sets, including the 1978 go-cart (set 854), a 1979 bulldozer (set 856) and a really cool motor (1979 – set 8858) that were challenging and interesting to a kid (and now adults too). The holy grail was the 853 car chassis, which came with a similar motor, rack-and-pinion steering, adjustable seats, and the biggest tires that Lego made. It was completely customizable and a challenge to assemble with little kid hands. I never had one. I did get to play with one, once. This is that story. But it’s not going to go how you think.
My mom begins the tale. When you’re a kid, sometimes your “friends” are just your parents’ friends’ kids. My mom tells me that one of these friends of theirs thought it would be a great idea for me to have a sleepover with her kid. Mark Steele was his name. I didn’t know him. I had probably met him at one of those random things that parents did together sometimes, but I didn’t know him at all. I was invited to do a sleepover, and I think is was for two nights. My mom tells me that one of the other kids in the parent-circle went over for sleepovers and had a great time.
I have strong memories about the rest.
Adults always thought I was “shy”. I guess that is true, but the truth is even back then, I had severe anxiety. I did not feel comfortable around people I did not know. I felt very comfortable around close family and friends, but very few people outside that circle. My dad had this one childhood friend who moved out west and became a scientist. I took a real shine to him. Very few others were that fortunate with me. I did not know these people and I was being sent away for two nights. Rather than be a fun time that I was looking forward to, it was something that I had to make it through, so that I could go back to my own home and bed.
I was treated with nothing but hospitality, but I simply was never the sleepover type. I had it pretty good at home. I had all the Star Wars toys that a kid could want. I had a sister that I adored, to play with every day. I had parents that made food that I liked and let us watch whatever we wanted on TV. I had my best friend Bob, only ever two doors down. Why would I want to go anywhere else?
Mark was a very friendly and welcoming kid. His bedroom had a giant poster of a hockey player on the closet door – it was cut in half in such a way that you could opens the doors. It might have been Wayne Gretzky, but that would not have helped me at all. I knew nothing about hockey, and had no interest in it. I liked Star Wars. Even though every effort was made to make me feel at home, I felt so homesick.
For lunch, Kraft dinner was served. I have always been a picky eater, and very much so a Kraft dinner purist. I loved Kraft Dinner. Nobody made better Kraft Dinner than my mom. I do today it the way she did it back then. Lots of milks, extra runny sauce. No hot sauce, no pepper, just the KD out of the box with nothing added. Well, wouldn’t you know it. I was being served Kraft Dinner…with hot dogs mixed in. I don’t know what I said, but I know I was vocal in my dislike of the concept of Kraft Dinner with hot dogs. I tried to eat it, and it was probably more psychological than not, but I did not like it. I still don’t.
For entertainment, we all went out to see the film The Black Stallion. I remember them trying to pump me up over this movie. “You’re going to love it!” I have never cared about horses, and I need not tell you, I did not enjoy The Black Stallion. My mom loves the film, but I distinctly remember thinking, “This isn’t a kid’s movie, this is a grown-up movie that kids can watch with their parents.” I liked Star Wars! I had no idea who Mickey Rooney was, or why he was a big deal. I didn’t understand the movie. The horse didn’t seem particularly likeable and I had no idea why the kid in the movie wanted to ride the horse. Like, who cares? That was my attitude as a nine year old.
Sleeping was difficult for me in a strange bed in another kid’s room. As a person with music deep in his soul, and in an age before personal tape players, I liked to hum myself to sleep. Usually a John Williams soundtrack piece. I couldn’t do that if I wasn’t alone. I really had to…not be myself…if I slept over at someone else’s house.
The one thing I do remember, and is definitely a happy memory, is that Mark owned the 853 car chassis. I got to play with it. I got to handle it and experience it for myself. I remember thinking that, visually, it wasn’t very striking. It was just a red bare-bones chassis. Yes it was everything you stared it in the little Lego catalogue photos, except up close in real life. At the time, the 853 car chassis was the most desired of all the technical Lego sets. It had the motor with four pistons that moved as you pushed it over the carpet. It had loads of big technical pieces, a ton of gears, and was massive in hand.
As hard as they tried, the only thing I really remember enjoying that weekend was the Lego. The lesson here is that Lego is just plain good for your mental health.
This bowling ball was spotted at Victoria lanes in Kitchener, Ontario. It was well worn and clearly played a lot of rounds! We figure it was probably donated to the lane recently, as it wasn’t there in the previous weeks.
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